As he consumes the last of the cans, Qi-Wu even begins seasoning them with odd condiments such as pepper and hot sauce, as if mocking his own, somewhat naive belief that hoarding cans of pineapple would allow May to return to him. By eating the pineapples and accepting the end of his relationship, Qi-Wu opens up to the possibility of finding someone knew, which helps initiate a new relationship with the female lead of this story. However, as the final day draws to a close, he physically shows his acceptance of the inevitable by consuming the pineapples and physically absorbing his dashed dreams as a learning experience. The pineapples were a physical reminder of the desire that things between Qi-Wu and May would return to what they once were, all stacked up and kept tidily in hopes that his girlfriend would return to him.
Eating all the pineapples is therapeutic for him with each can, he grows to accept the outcome even more. He argues that a lot of work is put into creating a can of pineapples (maintaining a relationship), and that by throwing away an old can (Qi-Wu) so easily is neglecting its feelings.Īfter the store clerk exasperatingly gives Qi-Wu a box of expiring canned foods, the camera cuts to a long-shot of Qi-Wu perfectly framed in the window of the convenience store, as if implying he himself is trapped, canned, and imprisoned by his inability to let go of his relationship with May.Īfter finally obtaining his 30th can of pineapples, Qi-Wu starts coming to terms with the failure of his relationship, and subsequently consumes all thirty cans. The pineapples are a metaphor for his relationship. Upon hearing this, Qi-Wu criticizes the store clerk as if he were criticizing May’s behavior he reprimands the store clerk (and, one assumes, a non-present May) for being able to easily throw away the old for the new. When he goes to buy his last pineapple can, Qi-Wu discovers that the store clerk has put away the remaining cans with a May 1st expiration date, as it would not make sense to have old stock out for sale. Soon, April 30th arrives with no hints of reconcile in sight. During this month, calls he makes during this time period are intercepted by May’s friend, thus making it impossible for Qi-Wu to actively fix the problem.
His one condition is that the expiration date of the pineapple must be May 1st he feels that if he does not reconcile with May by this date, his relationship will have reached its expiration date, much like the can of pineapple (pineapples were also May’s favorite fruit). In order to mark the passing days, Qi-Wu decides to purchase a tin can of pineapple from a convenience store every day for a month. His birthday is exactly one month later, on May 1st, and because the month shares the same name with his girlfriend, he finds symbolic meaning in the “due date.” Since then, he has learned she was indeed serious, and in an effort to rationalize the events, decides to wait a month before moving on.
The break-up occurred on April 1st, April Fool’s Day, which prompted Qi-Wu to assume it was a joke. The first story revolves around Cop 223, real name He Qi-Wu (Kaneshiro Takeshi), who is trying to come terms with his break-up with his girlfriend, May. Although the stories are not explicitly connected, characters from the second story make cameo appearances in the first, creating a connection between time and space. Wong Kar-Wai’s Chungking Express is made up of two, consecutive stories, both which revolve around the love life of a policeman.
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